Community Corner

'You've Got a Friend at Foe'

Former contemporary American cuisine enclave gets a new owner and new beginning.

Since 29-year-old Jared Schulefand took over just two weeks ago, he’s been the talk of town. First things first: You should know that he’s not “that guy from Cape Cod.” While he may have earned his entrepreneur expertise there, Schulefand is a Hamden native and resident and is a Nutmegger through and through.

Upon buying the business from former owner/chef Alfonso “Foe” Iaderosa, Schulefand hung a sign up stating: “You’ve Got a New Friend at Foe’s.” Where some people do those things for publicity, there’s a good chance that that’s not the case with Schulefand.

Area business owners have noted that he’s been working round the clock to make the place presentable to guests “sweeping the whole sidewalk, not just his section” and where the former owner may have closed the doors at 9 p.m., he’s happy to keep the open sign street facing until his last guests are satisfied.

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“My passion is really making people feel special and making people want to come back and see me personally, not just for the good food or the good drinks,” said Schulefand.

Schulefand cut his teeth in the restaurant industry starting as a busboy at Modern Apizza in New Haven at age 15.

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“I went in and applied,” said Schulefand, “and that was the beginning of my career and I didn’t even know it.”

Knowing he always wanted to own his own restaurant, Schulefand put that dream on the back burner to pursue a degree in jazz studies at Hofstra University. After two years of playing saxophone, he said, “I realized I didn’t want to be a teacher and I didn’t want to be a starving artist so I actually dropped out.”

Realizing that he had been working in the service industry so long, he decided it was time to pursue his tabled dream and Schulefand shipped off to Johnson & Wales University where he earned his degree while managing two restaurants and a night club.

Chatham Bars Inn out of Cape Cod recruited Schulefand after school and he’s been there for the past five years working his way through the ranks.

Hired as a restaurant manager at this four-star, four-diamond resort, Schulefand said he was promoted to manage the busiest of seven restaurants in just one month’s time. Schulefand said he was able to increase the guest attendance at the 250-seat restaurant, the Beach House Grill, from 400 people a day to 1,200 by the time he left.

No matter the demands, Schulefand said he took on the responsibility even if it meant directing up to three $20,000-$250,000 weddings a weekend. “One of the things my first boss told me is never let them see you sweat. Even if in my head I am completely overwhelmed, the staff never knew it, the guests never knew it and you just kind of have to keep on trucking and get it done.”

Schulefand eventually was promoted to resort beverage and banquet director and is proud to claim the Angle Food Cake Martini (vanilla vodka, amaretto, peach schnapps, Malibu rum and pineapple juice) as one of his signature creations.

With a few more years under his belt Schulefand said he would have been promoted to director of food and beverage but he decided it was time to move on. After deciding to leave Chatham Bars Inn, Schulefand said, “I kind of realized, why am I applying for jobs when really what I want to do is open up my own restaurant?”

Schulefand said he returned home to Hamden and began hunting for a restaurant to call his own. “This was one of the first restaurants I saw and I fell in love with it and really, it spoiled me because nothing else could compare,” commented Schulefand of Foe.

“I think Branford is a great town and I think Main Street, as far as food-wise, and restaurant-wise, there really isn’t anything like it around. It has a city feel but also has that small-knit community feel as well.”

Waiting in the wing, two of Schulefand’s co-workers from Chatham Bars Inn have assumed positions at Foe ready to serve-up what the diners order. Executive chef Mike DiVincenzo is a Hamden native and former chef di cusine for the Tavern Restaurant at Chatham Bars Inn and executive sous chef Bryan Johnson is from Maryland and was the executive chef of the Beach House Grill at Chatham Bars Inn.

While the menu will stay the same for now, less about 10 items that Schulefand said Foe’s patrons and staff vetoed, both chefs have reinvented every recipe. “I like the idea of offering food an every-day person would order instead of a soy apricot-glazed duck,” said Schulefand. “It’ still on there – I just took the soy out of the glaze.”

He’s also replaced the sweet potato gnocchi with roasted garlic gnocchi, he shared.

In addition to the noticeable palate tweaks, Schulefand also added that a $2 to $8 price reduction will be applied to most plates.

Where Foe was known for upscale contemporary food, Schulefand said he’s hoping to offer more comfort food with a twist. DiVincenzo is planning a specialty mac & cheese menu and the traditional burger will be stuffed with boursin cheese and topped with Canadian bacon and fried onions.

While two-three months down the road Schulefand has plans to change name the restaurant name – “It doesn’t make sense to have Foe Bistro without Foe” – he’s also not coming in, guns blazing.

“To walk in here and just assume I knew what Branford needed and start changing things would be a bad business decision, so really I am taking the next couple months as a learning curve and getting-to-know-you period” he said.

What is top priority for Schulefand as he gets to know the town and the people is ensuring that diners know they are important when they step through the door of Foe.  Even if the bar is full, Schulefand said you can have the bar menu in the dining room. The garden room, formerly reserved for banquets will also be open for diners to enjoy.

So what else should Branford know about Schulefand? He responded, “Besides that I’m not from Cape Cod? Come back and give us a chance.” 


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